The 25 six-car electric multiple units to be built by Siemens for Govia Thameslink Railway have been designated Class 717s.

They will enter traffic from towards the end of 2018, replacing 40 three-car Class 313s. The contract is worth £200 million and the trains will be built at Krefeld, in Germany.

They are similar to the Class 700s being built by Siemens for GTR (of which 16 are in the UK), but they must have end doors as per safety regulations due to their operation in the Moorgate Tunnels. The design of this is at an advanced stage, with construction due to start this year. 

  • For more on this, read RAIL 803, published on June 22.
  • For more on GTR's Class 700 fleet, read RAIL 802, published today (June 8).